Physician&#39;s examining table with paper roll mounting structure



H. R. SHAMPAINE PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLE WITH PAPER ROLL MOUNTING STRUCTURE Aug. 12, 1952 Filed March 23, 1949 ZSHEETS-SHEETZ INVENTOR SHAMPAINE HYMAN ROBERT ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATE PHYSICIANS EXAMINING TABLE WITH I PAPER ROLL MOUNTING STRUCTURE V Hyman Robert Shampaine, Clayton, Mo. 'ApplicationMarch 2a, 1949, SerialNo. 82,946

. 1 This invention relates in general to certain new and. usefulimprovements in physicians examining tables. 1 h

Most physicians today, who are engaged in private practice andmaintain private ofiices, em ploy some kind of examining table or chair on which-patients may be placed for purposes of general diagnostic examinations. Because the requirements of medical diagnosis make it necessary .to place the patients in various different positions as circumstances of the case may necessitate, it is essential that the table be readily, and simplyadjustable to various positions, ranging from a chair simulative position to a horizontal flat table-like position. It is I also frequently necessary in the practice of general medicine to examine patients in various states of undress ana therefore, it is extremely desirabl both from the point of view-of sanitation as well, as personal taste, to cover the examining table with alsheet or other similar drape, so thatthe exposed parts of the patients 'body will not come directly in contact with the table itself. Other: wise, there is danger of communication of dis-;

easesjfrom patient'to patient and, furthermore,

many patients would object if required to sit or recline upon a table which might previously have been occupied by another.

Finally, most doctors ofiices are subdivided into relatively smallexamining rooms wherein space isat'a great premium. It-is, therefore. essential'that the examining tablebe constructed aslc'ompactly as possible and be providedwith a maximum amount of storage space for instruinents, dressings, and supplies.

' Itis, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide'a physicians examining table 'which is sturdy, compact, and economical in design so as to occupy the smallest necessary amountof space in the. physicians oflice and, at the same time, provideadequatestorage space for instruments, dressings, and supplies.

[lt is' 'af'further object of the present invention toifprovide a physicians examining table having incorporated therein unique means for storing a substantial'supply of'paper sheeting which may bequickly and conveniently drawn overthe surface of the table to protect the exposed portions of apatients body 'from'direct contact with the surface of the table.

Itis another object of the present invention to provide a physicians examining table which may be readily, quickly, and conveniently adjusted to various positions, ranging from a chair-like position'toa table' like position, and is capable of BCIaims. (open-) being securely locked in, or released from, any

such position of adjustment by a relatively simple and yet durable locking means.

With the above and otherobjects in View, invention. resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts presently describedandpoint'ed out inthe claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings (two sheets);-

Figure 1 is atop plan view of a physicians examining table constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the physicians examining table of'the present invention;

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 3-3and 4- 4, respectivelyQof Figure 2;- I Figure5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1; Figure, 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 66 of Figure 3; Figure '7 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of the. examining table illustrating in' more detail the lockingmechanism employed in conjunction with the back section; Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 8--8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9=is a fragmentary perspective-view of the examining table illustrating in more detail the locking mechanism employed in conjunction with the leg section; and Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectionalview taken along-line l0 -l0 of Figure 9. I v A Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustratea preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates a physicians examining table comprising an oblong-rectangular base I supported at its four corners from the floor by means: of short legs 2. Mounted upon, and extending upwardly from, the basefl' is -a rectangular cabinet 3 preferably subdivided into two door-closed c a b,-= inet sections 4, 5, and provided adjacent its up: per endwith two drawers 6, 1. The cabinettis surmounted at'its upper endfw'ith a fixed horizontal top member 8. Slidably mounted in the righthand sidewall of the cabinet 3 (reference being made toFigure 2 and extending horizontally over thetop of the base I, is a short sliding platform 9-provided at its projecting ends with legs in and adapted-to be pulled in or out, as desired, to provide a footrest or step.

Hingedly mounted upon, and extending outwardly from, the transverse end margin of the extending through the ears [5 is a rock shaft [6 extending equidistantly outwardlyon opposite sides of the bracket [4 and terminating at its ends a short distance inwardly from. the side margins of the leg section l I, being at such ends rigidly provided with radially projecting actuating handles ll. Pinned to the rock shaft. 16 intermediate the ears i5 is a radially projecting lock housing [8 provided transversely with a passage l9 which extends transversely therethrough in a direction approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rock shaft l6. Formed in and extending through the housing [8 in a direction approximately at 90 to the direction of thepassage' I9 is a relatively large clearance aperture 2c. 'Slipfitt'ed into the passage [9 'is a rectangular locking plate 2i centrally provided with a circular aperture 2-2 sized for snugfitting slidable engagement with a support rod 23 which extends freely through the clearance, aperture 25 and, at its lower or inner end, is pivotally secured in a small U-shaped pintle bracket 24, which is, in turn, suitably secured upon the side wall of the cabinet 3.

Similarly secured to the hinges 3| and flanges 32 thereof. and extending rearwardly over the top member 8, is a back section 31 integrally including a rearwardly projecting pillow-like head section 38 which extends for a substantial distance rearwardly beyond the cabinet 3 and is of hollow box-like construction to provide a downwardly opening chamber 39. Secured centrally upon the under face of the back section 31, as by means of screws 40, is a bracket plate 4! ..rigidly provided upon its under face with a Pinned to the rock shaft i 6 in outwardlyspaced relation to one of the ears I5 is a collar'25 to which is rigidly secured one end of a spiral spring 26 concentrically disposed around the portionlof the rock shaft 16 lying between the collar 2 5 and the adjacent ear l5 and fixed at'its other end to the ear [5 for normally biasing the rock shaft It and the lock housing '18 in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 9. Rigidlymounted upon the upper face of the top member 8, approximately one-third of the distance inwardly from the leg section I l is a transversely extending- T-shaped hinge support 21- having' an upstanding web member 28 provided at its upper margin with a horizontally extending tubular sleeve 29. Projecting horizontally through the sleeve 29 is an elongated hinge'pin 38 extending outwardly at both ends through the eyes of. pairs of downwardly depending plate hinges 31, SI, whichare integrally provided on their lower margins with laterally extending flanges" 32.; 32",

respectively. Secured by screws or any other conventional means to the hinge plates 3! and flanges 32 thereof, and extending forwardly to fill substantially the entire space between the hinge support 27 and the leg section I 6,, is an upholstered oblong-rectangular seat section 33 ofs'ubstanti'a-lly' box-like construction in the pro vision of a downwardly opening hollow recess 34; Suitably mounted upon the seat section 33 in normally concealed relationwithin the recess 34 is a hinge-like leg bar 35 which may be shifted downwardly to the position shown inifull lines in -gure 5 tosupport the seat section 33 in forwardly and upwardly inclined relation'to the top member 8 or may be swung upwardly into the position shown in dotted'lines in Figure 5 to permit the seat section 34 to swing downwardly into horizontal position and come to rest upon short rubber cushions 36.

' escutcheon washerl 58 and is bracket 42 having spaced parallel depending ears. 43ifor pivotally engaging a support rod 44 which extends downwardly through a relatively large oblong aperture 45 in the top member 8 and thence through a lock housing 18 and locking plate 21,substantially identical in all respects to the previously described lock housing 18 and locking plate 2h The lock housing 18' is pinned to a rock shaft 16' which is journaled in a bracket 48 suitably mounted upon the under side of the top member 8; The rock shaft I6 is substantially similar to the previously -described rock shaft 16 and extends outwardly'at its opposite ends through the side walls-of the cabinet 3, being onsuch extended ends provided with actuating handles 47-. Pinned to the rock shaft It" in outwardly spaced relation to the bracket $6 is a collar 25 for receiving-one end of a coiled spring 28" which is fastened at its other end to the'bracket 46-, the collaxfZS and spring 26' also being substantially similar to the previously described collar 25 and spring 26. The'spring 26' is coiled about the rock'shaft it in such a direction as to bias it downwardly V in the direction'ofi the'arrow as shown in Figure-S. v

Secured, as by means of screws 48, uponthe inner face of onesi'de wall 49 of the chamber 3943 a flat trunnion plate 50 centrally provided with an outwardly extending horizontal trunnionpin 51,- which is ground 01f at its outer end to a relatively sharp point. Similarly secured" by means of screws 52 upon the under face of the opposite side wall 53 of the chamber 39 is a second-ftrunnion plate 54. The side wall 53 is horizontally drilled in an area approximately aligned with the center of the plate 54 in the provision of a passage-55, which is'counter-bored at its opposite ends to provide an inner clearance'chamber 56 and an outer clearance recess 51, the latter being designed to receive'an escutcheon washer 58 heldthereiriby screws 59. Rotatably bearinged in, and extendingthrough. the escutcheon washer 58 is an'adiustabletrunmon 60, which projects loosely through'the' passage and is threaded through a nut 6! located with the clearance chamber-58' and welded to the back face of the trunnion-plate 5.4." At its'inner end, the Hunnion es projects horizontally inwardly into' the. chamber 39' and in axial alignment with the trunnion 5| and isat its innermost (and ground off substantially toza. point. At its outer! end, the. trunnion 60 projects outwardly; beyond the provided witha manipulating knob 62 held in place thereon by a set screw 63'. J "j v Rotatably supported. between-the trunnions 5 I 60, upon suitable spools 64 is a paper roll- R, which is only slightly shorter in length than the overall width of the examining, table A-, ,sothat a continuous web 112 may be pulled from the forward side thereof rearwardly over a spring steel strip 65 mounted by means of screws 66' in the transverse'end wall 61 of the chamber 39 and is provided with a downwardly presented sharpened cutting edge 65'. Tacked at their ends to the outwardly presented side faces of the back section 31, the seat section 33, and the leg section I l are transversely extending elastic bands 11 for purposes presently more fully appearing.

In use, the paper web w may be pulled outwardly and thence upwardly and forwardly over the top of the cushioned head member 38, back section 31, seat section 33, and leg section I l and threaded under the elastic bands 1), by which it is held down, in the provision of a covering to protect the body of the patient.

If it is desired to raise the back section 31 up- I Wardly into chair position, the handles 41 may be pushed upwardly to release the engagement between the support rod 44 and the locking plate 2|, whereupon the back section 31 may be pushed manually upwardly to a position, such as that shown for instance in dotted lines in Figure 2. Thereupon, the handles 41 may be released, so that the lock housing [8 and the locking plate 2 i may be urged downwardly under action of the spring 26' so as to rigidly grip the support rod 44.

It should be noted in this connection that, as a weight is brought to bear against the back section 31, the downward thrust upon the support rod 4 1 will tend to tighten the binding or gripping action of the locking plate 2|. Similarly, the leg section II may be swung downwardly to depending position, such as that shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, by lifting one of the handles I! to release the engagement between the locking plate 21 and the support rod 23.

When the back section 33 and the leg section II are in chair-forming position, the platform 9 may, if desired, be pulled out to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, so that the feet of the patient may rest comfortably thereon. If desired, the forward vertical corner posts 68 may be provided in their upper ends with tubular sleeves 69 opening upon the top of the table for slidably receiving conventional knee crutch members C, which are locked in any position of vertical adjustment by large sturdy set screws 10 extending threadedly through the corners of the cabinet 3 and externally provided with relatively large manipulating knobs H, all as best seen in Figure 10. The seat section 33 is cut away at its forward corners, as at 12, to provide clearance for the knee crutch members C. In this same connection, it should be noted that the transverse width of the seat section 33 between its cut-away portions of the corners 12 is substantially equal to the width of the paper web w, so that the latter will lie between the knee crutch members C and will not in any way be interfered with by the latter.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the physician's examining table may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Paper roll mounting means for a physicians examining table including a base with a top section hingedly mounted on the upper end of the base and projecting at one end over and beyond said base, being provided in such pro-- jecting portion with a downwardly opening recess, having spaced parallel side walls; said paper roll mounting means comprising a first pin rigidly mounted on the face of one of said side walls, a second pin threadedly mounted in and extending through the other side wall in coaxial alignment with the first pin and beingprovided on its outer end witha handle to facilitate manipulation thereof, and a paper roll rotatably suspended upon said pins.

.2. Paper roll mounting means for a physicians examining table including a base with a a top section hingedly mounted on the upper end of the base and projecting at one end over and beyond said base, being provided in such projecting portion with a downwardly opening recess having spaced parallel side walls; a first conically pointed pin rigidly mounted on the face of one of said side walls, a second conically pointed pin threadedly mounted in and extending through the other side wall in coaxial alignment with the first pin and being provided on its outer end with a handle to facilitate manipulation thereof, a paper roll rotatably suspended upon said pins, and a downwardly presented paper cutting member extending transversely across the rearward margin of the recess in rearwardly spaced relation to the paper roll so that the paper when pulled rearwardly from the roll will pass freely across said downwardly presented paper cutting member and thence upwardly across the end and upper face of the top section.

' HYMAN ROBERT sI-IAMPAINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

Worth Jan. 25, 1944: 

